The problems associated with secondhand smoke have long been recognized. Such problems may be health or nuisance related. Recently, the adverse health risks associated with inhaling secondhand smoke have become the topic of widespread concern throughout the world. Both smokers and nonsmokers have an interest to minimize and preferably eliminate secondhand smoke.
The problems associated with secondhand smoke become magnified inside of confined spaces, such as the passenger compartments of vehicles. In an automobile, for example, the problems associated with secondhand smoke are several. The persons other than the smoker inside the passenger compartment are required to inhale the secondhand smoke, possibly subjecting them to adverse health risks. The clothing of each person inside the passenger compartment, including the smoker, will become saturated with smoke. Further, the interior of the vehicle passenger compartment itself becomes covered with soot and also eventually becomes saturated with the secondhand smoke.
Attempts have been made to provide ventilation systems for removing secondhand smoke. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,760 discloses a ventilation system for removing cigarette smoke from the cabin of an aircraft. This system relies, however, on the mixture of fresh air with the contaminated air before being removed through the exhaust ducts. Therefore, such a ventilation system tends to disperse the smoke rather than directly remove the smoke from inside the passenger compartment.
The problems associated with traditional methods for removing smoke are generally associated with the problems inherent in smoking. There are two main sources of secondhand smoke: the first source is the cigarette, cigar, pipe, or other smoke source itself, and the second source is the smoker's nose or mouth from which the smoke is exhaled.